Ukrainian Sea Drones Strike Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Oil Tanker in Black Sea
The Ukrainian secret service (SBU) released stunning footage of a dramatic moment when sea drones, known as Sea Babies, ambushed and damaged a Russian “shadow fleet” oil tanker, Dashan, in the Black Sea. The tanker was left floundering and on fire after being attacked.
According to the SBU, Dashan was sailing under the flag of the Comoros and had its transponder switched off, moving at full speed. The Sea Babies swarmed the boat while it was in Ukraine’s patch of the Black Sea, inflicting critical damage that left the vessel disabled. There is no word on possible casualties.
The SBU claimed the tanker was worth around £22.5 million and could have been transporting £55 million worth of oil. Dashan had previously been sanctioned by the EU, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Switzerland.
Third Disabled Tanker from ‘Shadow Fleet’ in Two Weeks
An SBU source said, “The SBU continues active measures to reduce the flow of oil dollars into the Russian budget. Over the last two weeks, this is already the third disabled tanker from the ‘shadow fleet’ that was helping the Kremlin circumvent international sanctions.” On November 29, Sea Baby drones struck two sanctioned oil tankers—Kairo and Virat—in the Black Sea.
The “shadow fleet” refers to a group of ships that operate under the radar, allowing Moscow to continue trading oil which props up its war machine. Russia cannot trade in the normal way because it is under heavy Western sanctions.
Putin Threatens to Sever Ukraine’s Access to Black Sea
Russia has yet to comment on the strike against Dashan. However, Putin last week threatened to sever Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea in response to the attacks on tankers, which he slammed as piracy. Ukraine has been attacking Russian oil refineries for months using long-range aerial drones to strike far behind the front lines of Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
The strikes on the tankers represent a new line of attack. There have been at least seven blasts on other tankers that called at Russian ports since December 2024, at locations including in the Mediterranean. Ukraine is suspected of carrying out those attacks using limpet mines, maritime security sources said, but Kyiv has not confirmed or denied any role.
Original Article: Dramatic moment Ukrainian sea drones bomb another Russian ‘shadow fleet’ oil tanker as boat burns in the sea — The-Sun